Penn State certainly saw this play in the video package from Ohio State from its victory over Iowa last week, and the Nittany Lions’ defensive coaches might even have chuckled to see how the Hawkeyes were caught flat-footed on what turned out to be a 58-yard touchdown pass.

But it’s a play — let’s call it “gun one, option left, pass choice” — with multiple possibilities for the Buckeyes, who should be expected to run it or a variation a time or two again tonight when they play host to Penn State. This particular time, it featured the edge-threatening talents of freshman running back Dontre Wilson.

OSU deployed in the shotgun, with Wilson to the right of quarterback Braxton Miller, the tight end to the left and three receivers to the right, prompting the Iowa defense to tilt predictably to the offense’s right.

At the snap, the Buckeyes enticed defensive flow back to the left, as right guard Marcus Hall pulled left and Wilson crossed in front of Miller in that direction, ready to take the ball. It looked like an option handoff to Wilson, and the lone safety flew toward the scene.

Miller, though, pulled the ball back, then calmly lofted a pass to wide (open) receiver Corey Brown, who had come from the inside slot on the right to run a simple deep-crossing route behind the safety. Brown turned it into the longest pass reception of his career.

At least one time later in the game, Miller handed off to running back Carlos Hyde running out of the same formation, and in another instance, Miller faked the handoff and ran near right side. That’s a lot for a spread-out defense to assimilate on the fly.